


Not What You Think

by Louloo134



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Avoiding Parents, Bigotry, Canon-Typical Violence, Everyone knows they'll be a couple except them, I don't know what I'm doing, Implied Sexual Content, Jump Scares, One-Sided Attraction, Other, Schmoop and cuddles, Slow Burn, Sneaking, first time fanfic, near-rape, relationship building, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 13:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18717799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louloo134/pseuds/Louloo134
Summary: Village doctor Bandwidth is rescued from a dark situation by one of the feared timberwolves. Only problem is, not only will this wolf not leave her alone, it seems to need her help.





	Not What You Think

Bandwidth fixed her beanie, looking at herself in the mirror. Her short red hair had allowed itself to be tamed for a while, and she fixed the wire glasses on her freckled nose, making sure they didn’t slip down too far. Her face was childlike, despite nearing her nineteenth birthday. She had lanky limbs but was round in the hips, even if her chest wasn’t as full as some of the other village women. Adjusting her skirt and blouse, she turned to the door of her room and left.

Her father, Surge, was already gone for work at Charge’s bakery. Sparkup, her mother, was in the act of cleaning up the kitchen and offered her short daughter a hug as she came downstairs. “Don’t forget to buy eggs, honey.” She opened Bandwidth’s hand and set down eight crowns. “And whatever plants you’ll need to make those medicines of yours.”

Bandwidth smiled as she lifted the basket. “I know, Mother. I do this every week.” Waving goodbye, she stepped out into the sunlight, taking a deep breath before starting her walk. It was several minutes to the market, but she knew of people that walked farther. Wilder was glad to trade her a half dozen eggs for a crown, and she managed to gather a good deal of herbs that she could use for her medicines and ointments at home.

On the way home, however, she couldn’t shake a lingering feeling of being watched. Something, or some _ one, _ was following her. She cursed herself for forgetting to put her knife into her basket, for taking the scenic route home. Her knuckles turned white on the handle at the sound of footsteps, and she slowly allowed herself to turn around.

Halfway through the motion, hands gripped her wrists and waist, causing her to drop the basket. The man pushed her harshly against a tree, yanking her up so they were level and scraping the bark along her back. Her glasses were knocked away, making his appearance hazy to her, although she could smell the pungent alcohol on his breath. Any attempt to scream was smothered as he kissed her hard, forcing his tongue into her mouth.

She bucked and writhed, but was easily dwarfed by his size and strength. She couldn’t breathe right, and tears gather in her eyes as she felt his hand push up her skirt. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be happening!

His hand had just started to paw at her shorts when something barked. No, not barked. The sound was far more feral, a roaring snarl that somehow still managed to increase her fear. The hands holding her let go as he turned to face the creature, and Bandwidth’s heart dropped into her boots.

Moving slowly, a massive timberwolf stalked forward, saliva dripping from it’s snarling jaw. Black fur rippled in the slight breeze, the wolf very nearly as tall as the man who was attacking her. Even with his slowed reactions, her attacker ran as best as he could, making his way back towards the main village and leaving her there alone.

She was too frightened to move, tears streaming down her cheeks as she hastily pulled her skirt back down, a meager act that barely comforted her. She was dead, and she wasn’t sure if this fate was better or worse than the one that she’d nearly met. Closing her eyes, she tucked up against herself, hoping that she might spare herself some fear by not looking.

A few heart-stopping moments passed, with only the sound of soft steps and a sniffing snout to be heard before something nudged her boot. Instinctively recoiling, it took her a few seconds to gather the courage and look up at whatever sight awaited her.    
The timberwolf was laid down in front of her, her glasses moved to her boot. Upon seeing her obvious confusion, it nudged the glasses again, making them press into her slightly. Slowly, with shaking hands, she lifted the glasses, trembling at how close her hand passed to its teeth, and the feeling of its warm breaths on her knuckles.

She put her glasses back on, blinking away her remaining tears as she willed her heart to stop pounding. With her glasses back, she could better see the wolf, and the icy blue eyes that watched her with frightening awareness. After a moment or two, it softly nudged her leg again.

It took some time, but she eventually managed to relax, no longer terrified of this beast. Whatever happened, it had saved her, and she needed to remember that. With a still-trembling frame, she pushed herself to her feet, whimpering softly at the pain that came when the insides of her thighs rubbed together.

The timberwolf watched her as she moved over to her basket, staggering slightly before kneeling down to salvage the unbroken eggs. A fresh wave of tears started as she imagined going home, explaining the situation and the waste of money to her parents. Biting her lip, she did her best to silence any sounds she might be tempted to make. 

Something nudged her back, and she lifted the basket and stood, turning to face the timberwolf again. It knelt down, tail flicking back and forth. She frowned slightly as she swiped at her tears. In response, it got up, licked at the tears on her face, then knelt down again. Despite its massive girth, she couldn’t suppress a soft chuckle at the show of kindness. “What is it?”

It whined, and before she could argue, moved behind her and forced its head between her legs, standing up in one smooth movement. She squeaked as she was moved onto its back, overcompensating as she leaned forward and gripped the fur around its neck. Turning its head, it sniffed her twice before sniffing the ground and starting to run.

The timberwolf didn’t slow, but steadily ran through main trails and paths, the sight of such a small woman on the beast making any nearby travelers’ heads turn. Its fur was softer than she would have assumed, making it not too uncomfortable as she straddled its back for the ride home. The longer she sat there, the more comfortable she became, relaxing until she was almost hidden in the long fur. 

Her mother was pacing outside and immediately balked at the sight of the creature, snatching a gardening hoe and raising it up threateningly. Bandwidth hurriedly sat up, pushing off the timberwolf and stumbling slightly as she hit ground. “It’s okay, Mother. It’s a friend.”

Sparkup dropped the makeshift weapon, grabbing and pulling her daughter into a tight hug. Finally feeling truly safe, Bandwidth allowed herself to cry again, explaining everything through a series of hiccuping sobs. Once done, Sparkup led her daughter inside and sat her down on the couch. With some difficulty, the timberwolf followed, managing to fit through the door and lie down on the floor in front of the couch. Sparkup gave it an odd look. “Why’s it still here?”

Bandwidth smiled softly and slowly managed to kneel down by it, scratching its ears. “I think it wants to stay.” It started to purr at the scratching, and after a bit more coaxing, she managed to get it to roll over. “He. He wants to stay.” She rubbed his stomach fondly, treating him the way she would a dog. “What’s your name, boy? What’s your name?” He rolled back over at her comment, using a claw to very carefully shift the fibers of the rug, writing. T-H-U-N-D-E-R. “Your name is Thunder?”

He nodded, then pressed his head to her hand again until she started to stroke his head more. Her other hand reached over to blur out the letters in the carpet before her mother saw. She was fairly certain that timberwolves weren’t this smart, and she didnt want to alarm her parents. 

Deep purrs emanated from his chest as she stroed him, and she kept going, even after her mother brought her some tea to help calm her nerves. After she drained her cup, she gathered the plants and herbs she’d gathered, taking them upstairs to her room. 

Thunder followed her up, seeming intent on staying near her. She didn’t mind the company, sitting down at her desk and laying out the plants. Aloe was the first one she planned on working with, but she grew that in her backyard garden. Taking her mortar and pestle, she grabbed the aloe leaves off a corner of her desk, pulling them towards her and dropping them into the bowl.

Thunder whined softly as she crushed up the leaves, his nose twitching at the scent. Bandwidth giggled a little and patted his head with her free hand. “You don’t have to stay. You can leave if you want.” Those ice blue eyes watched her resolutely as he stopped whining, just resting his head on his front paws. She smiled more as she let him stay, adding crushed lavender to the mix before pouring it all into a jar and capping it. 

Still a little shaky on her feet, she stood up to move and place the jar next to her other ones on the bookshelf. She had ointments for rashes, burns, and cuts, with other oils meant for stomach aches, fever, sickness, and more. Searching the shelf, she slowly pulled down the cream for cuts and another one for soothing bruises. She turned around and had barely taken a step when she ran into something hard, bumping her face into it. Frowning, she adjusted her glasses as she looked up at the object.

A massive, dark-skinned man loomed over her, easily at least a foot taller than her and wearing nothing but a pair of khaki shorts and sandals. Her quick attempt to scream was cut off as one of his large hands covered her mouth, firm but not harsh as he knelt down and spoke in a deep but smooth voice. “You were a lot nicer to me a moment ago.”

Her eyes darted around, searching for where Thunder had gone and why he wasn’t helping her. After another few moments of nothing happening, she returned her gaze to the man’s face. He was covered in his fair share of scars, but he had features that could be considered handsome, and ice blue eyes that she immediately recognized. Her own eyes widened as she looked at him. 

Slowly nodding his head, he let his hand drop. She blinked in confusion, floundering for words as she cupped his face and tried to match his appearance to that of the timberwolf’s. It was some time before she let go and stepped back. “You’re one of the Changers.” Her voice held a slight quaver.

He nodded, moving back some so she felt more comfortable. “I am.” He guessed her next question. “And Changers aren’t what you think. I helped you because you needed help, and it looks like you might still be in need of my help.” In one smooth motion, he lifted her up and set her on her bed. She squeaked softly, but didn’t protest or shove him away as he did. He knelt down off the bed and opened the jar of cream she had, sniffing it gently before tugging the hem of her skirt. “May I?”

Blushing, she hesitated a moment before gradually nodding. He hadn’t hurt her yet. With careful movements he pushed her skirt up, only to her knees. The bruises stood out on her pale skin as he gently applied some ointment over them, causing the throbbing pains to dull. She watched him carefully, though her nervousness slowly faded. “Where will you go after this?”

He paused a moment in his actions before going back to it, rubbing the ointment into her skin. “I have a home of my own, but I thought I’d stay with you for a while. I...I’d like to be your friend.” A slight blush rose up to his own face, and seeing that he was feeling awkward as well set her more at ease.

She leaned forward, setting a hand over his with a gentle smile. “Of course you can stay. Not to put too fine a point on it, but you’re my hero.” She laughed a little as he smiled. “But it might be best if you stick to your...wolf-self while at home. I can’t quite explain having a friend like you to them, and my father hates Changers.”

He smiled and nodded, relaxing a little as he finished applying the ointment. “You probably have bruises up on your thighs, but I don’t think you want me helping with those.” His words made her blush softly, but she scooted more towards him. He tilted his head in confusion as she handed him the other jar and turned around. His confusion didn’t fade until she pulled down some on the back of her shirt, revealing the vivid red scrapes along her back.

He opened up the jar while she carefully undid the top buttons on the back of her shirt, allowing him to reach better. Most of the cuts and scrapes were along her shoulder-blades, and she tensed up as he brushed them, gradually relaxing as the stings eased up with the application of the ointment. She turned around once he was done, beaming up at him. “Thank you.”

He nodded with a smile back at her as he capped the jar. “No problem.” Standing, he set the jars back on the shelf while she fixed her shirt, re-buttoning it and shifting the fabric so it rested nicely on her shoulders again. She stood up as well, going over to the shelf and taking down several different jars before putting them on the bed. “What’re those for?”

“I need to head back out. I sell these at the marketplace, and with the new herbs, I can replace the ones I sell today.” She sorted them out on the bed before looking up at him. “You can come along if you want. I’ll be right back.” Before he had a chance to answer, she had run downstairs and grabbed up her basket before coming back up the stairs. He was gone when she came back, but her window was open. Peering outside, she could see him standing outside the house.

Quickly loading up her jars, she gave her mother a hasty goodbye and proved that she was carrying her knife before leaving to join Thunder outside. He smiled softly, and took the basket from her, despite her protests. “Sorry about the window. I hadn’t wanted to change forms again to get past your mother.”

She nodded understandingly, staying near his side as she walked. “It’s okay, I get it. Or, I think I do. And I can carry the basket. I’ve always done it.” She reached for the handle only for him to pull it away and hold it up above his head. She pouted, and was about to more-or-less demand that he give it to her when his other arm looped around her and pulled her up against him, his forearm looping under her thighs so she was sitting and using his chest as a backboard.

She squeaked a little in surprise, but he handed her the basket once she was in his arms. “Now you can carry it.” He smirked as he said it, and she playfully pushed his head as she held the basket close, re-sorting out the placement of the jars on the weaved bottom. His long legs made it a faster walk to town, and she noticed that heads turned when he approached.

He set her down once they were actually in the market, but kept a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him in slight confusion, and he chuckled softly. “You’re so small compared to everyone else here. If I don’t keep you by me, I might lose you.” She knew his point was valid, but she couldn’t stop herself from impishly sticking out her tongue before finding a spot to stand near a store front, offering out her oils and ointments to passersby.

Thunder never strayed too far from her, staying close enough to observe and far enough that he didn’t scare away any potential customers. Bandwidth managed to sell a good deal of her medicines, most of them meant for lowering fevers and soothing sore throats. Influenza season was coming around again, and the smart people were preparing themselves.

With an additional ten crowns and a few tiaras in her basket, she made a quick trip to Orion, the candy maker. Orion Pax dealt with candies and chocolates, and was the only man who did so this far out from the central cities. He liked to give free candies to the smaller children, although Ratchet always told him not to.

The bell rang above her head as she stepped into the shop, taking a deep breath through her nose and inhaling the scent of all the different sweets gathered. A kind voice laughed softly as he saw her. “Hey there Bandwidth. You’re later than normal today.”

She couldn’t help but pale as she remembered the morning, shaking her head and calling up her best smile as she fixed her glasses. “Something happened earlier, but I’m here now, Roller. Where’s Orion?” The young man behind the counter was a good friend of Orion’s, and had a strange habit of not drinking anything unless it came out of a juice box.

He smiled a little more as she came in, already getting together the candies that he knew she’d want. “Some sort of candy-makers convention is going on at Iacon. He left me in charge until he gets back.” He laid out various cinnamon-candies on the counter, and she dropped a few tiaras into his palm as she pulled them into her basket.

She opened her mouth to speak when the door opened again, a slightly frantic-looking Thunder standing in the doorway. “Bandy, why didn’t you tell me you were going somewhere? I specifically told you that I planned on staying by you.” He made his way to her in two quick strides, taking the basket from her and inspecting what she’d bought.

Roller raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with slight confusion and amusement as he looked between the petite girl and the dark giant. Bandwidth waved his question away before he could ask it. “This is Thunder. He’s a friend of mine.” She patted Thunder’s side reassuringly before smiling up at Roller. “See you later!”

Thunder held the door open for her as she left the shop, and lifted the different boxes of candy as he sniffed them. His eyes widened as he did, and then he tilted his head. “You like spicy candies?” She nodded as he put the boxes back, wordlessly picking her up and holding her to his chest again. “And this is okay, right?”

Bandwidth smiled and rubbed the top of his head. “Yeah, it’s okay.” At her rubbing, his chest rumbled with a deep sound that was awfully close to a purr. Smiling more, she let her hand move down to scratch at his ears, and that only made him purr louder as he leaned his head into her touches. 

She wasn’t sure what had gone through her head, but somehow she went from walking home with him to having pulled him off to the side of the path so she could explore his soft spots. So far, she’d learned that his ears, head, and just under his jaw were sensitive, like a dogs. 

Her hands hovered above his chest, a little frightened to continue as she looked up at him. It was a few moments before he realized her slight panic, and he set a hand on hers before nodding with a smile. “It’s okay. If I don’t like it, I’ll tell you to stop.” With his words helping solidify her resolve, she nodded and gently set both her hands on his chest, running them up and down in long, smooth strokes. His chest hummed as he purred even more, and her gaze was drawn to a small round scar, just above the hem of his pants. On a whim, she reached over and pressed her thumb to it.

Gasping, he pressed up into the touch as his purrs increased and the rest of his body relaxed. She was a little surprised, but she continued to rub her thumb over the spot until he dissolved into a purring mess. She smiled at it, but slowly pulled her hand away from him. To more of her surprise, he whined softly as she pulled away before sitting up and clearing his throat. “Sorry.”

She patted his hand softly with a light smile. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” Helping him stand, she took the basket again and walked home. Instead of going inside, she swung around the outside of the building and went to the garden. With her basket set at her side, she knelt down and started to pull up weeds. After a few moments of observing her, Thunder followed suit and started helping her root out the weeds.

They worked in silence for a while before Bandwidth looked up, blushing softly as she opened her mouth before closing it again. Thunder tilted his head as he saw her, nudging her arm. Slowly, she reached out and let her hand hover above his scar. Smiling gently, Thunder nodded and set his own massive hand around hers, guiding her hand to press it to the scar. Purrs emanated from his chest, but he kept better control of himself time and stayed still.

She stayed there and rubbed the spot with the heel of her hand while he continued to pull up weeds. Despite feeling a little guilty about letting him do her work, the idea that she was still making him happy helped a little. Moving with him, she kept rubbing with one hand while the other helped pull up as many weeds as she could, putting them all into her basket.

Neither one of them was sure how long they worked there, but a fine layer of sweat covered them both by the time they had finished. A little embarrassed to admit she was tired, Bandwidth stood up and took the basket over to the compost pile in an attempt to hide her slightly labored breathing. Her thin fingers wrapped around the bundles of weeds and tossed them into the large pile before she stood up, taking the shovel and scooping out the mulch underneath.

Thunder came over to take the shovel, but she lightly pushed him aside. “I appreciate that you want to help me, but I’ve done fine without you for nineteen years. Besides, I hate feeling useless.” No matter what he tried, she refused to let go of the shovel, her knuckles whitening as she tried to keep him from taking it.

After a few tugs, Thunder decided to relent and let her keep it, wiping his forehead with the back of his forearm. Sitting down against the fence, he watched her as she worked. Different ideas flitted through his mind as he observed, saw the dark stains of old mulch on the hem of her skirt, the sweat beginning to stain her blouse as she pulled her hat off.

The rest of the day passed too quickly, Bandwidth going about her normal routine while Thunder trailed her, helping when and where he could. After hours had passed, Bandwidth yawned and rolled out her shoulders as she looked up towards the now-moonlit sky. “I need to head inside. There’s more work to do tomorrow.”

Nodding, Thunder looked up at the house. The two had decided that the garden was a safe place for him to stay while in his human form. Slowly standing, he dusted off the back of his pants. “You’re right. I should be going.”

Her eyes watched him with slight panic as she floundered briefly for words. “O-oh. Right.” Blushing slightly, she immediately looked down, both hands playing with the muddied hem of her skirt as she very poorly hid her emotions on the matter. Thunder knelt right back down, nudging her arm as he silently encouraged her to speak. She blushed harder, her freckles melding with the blush as she struggled to find her courage. “I-I just...Ikindaassumedyouwouldstay.”

Thunder blinked twice, the darkness of his skin and lack of light easily managing to hide the slight flush that rose to his face. His pause only made the small woman blushed harder as she covered her face with her hands, trying to put some sort of distance between herself and him without actually leaving. Gently, Thunder took both her wrists in one of his hands and pulled them down to her lap so he could see her. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “Do you want me to stay?”

Her face was as red as her hair as she slowly nodded, looking away out of nervousness. “I-I don’t have a lot of consistent friends, but I feel better when I’m around them anyways. I guess...I didn’t think about the fact that you have to go home, and I just got really set in the idea that you’d stay.” She couldn’t bury her face in her hands, and instead just leaned forward to hide her face behind his arm. “It sounds so childish out loud.”

He went silent as he thought, and every growing moment of silence made her stomach knot up. He was still going home, and now she’d probably scared him away for good! She allowed herself to get so attached that she’d frightened him off.

Another anxious moment passed before she was aware of a hand softly stroking the back of her head, and she fearfully looked up. Thunder was watching her calmly, the edge of his lips twisted up into a smile. “I don’t have to leave. I wanted to stay. I was just too afraid to ask.”

All her anxiety came undone as she let out a sigh of relief, quite literally slumping forward to rest against his chest. “You’re being serious? You’re not just saying this to make me feel better?” His hand comfortingly stroked her back as he nodded, tilting her head up so she could see it. She smiled happily up at him as she stood up. “Go to wolf form and meet me at the door?”

He nodded again as he stood up, towering over her before she practically skipped away. After waiting a moment or two at the door, the massive timberwolf trotted up to her before they both went inside and up to her room. Rearranging her blankets, she motioned for Thunder to climb up and lie down across the foot of the bed. He happily obeyed and politely closed his eyes as she changed into loose pajamas, climbing into the bed before patting his head one last time. “Goodnight, Thunder.”

His response was a soft purr, and she cozied up in her pillows as she quickly fell asleep. The night passed easily for her, warm and safe in her bed and completely trusting of the wolf at her feet. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first archive fanfic, so I'd appreciate any advice. More characters are going to come into play, and then the story will branch off in different directions for each set of characters. Also, I'd like to thank soundwave/thunderwave on the Transformers; Lost Light Amino for inspiring all of this


End file.
